Pope Francis this week asked American bishops to conduct polling on divorced members of their congregations. Many people are looking at this as a sign the Catholic Church could be rethinking their view on divorce. As you may know, currently the Catholic Church’s position on divorce is don’t do it under almost any circumstance. But Pope Francis may be rethinking this long held policy. Divorce has been a constant struggle for the Catholic church as many members do not agree with the official church position that divorce should never be sought. However, as with other issues, Pope Francis is seeking a more welcoming message for the church and may be leaning a different direction.
Apparently, the poll being conducted consists of 38 questions relating to divorce, marriage, and other related issues. The Vatican is seeking to have response back and review prior to a summit on Catholic family life. Recently, the Pope sent shock waives through the Church when he argued the Church may need to shift its focus and divisive social issues such as birth control, abortion, and gay marriage, and instead focus on bringing the gospel to more people throughout the world.
Some Catholics are downplaying the significance of the survey claiming nothing about the Church’s position on divorce is expected to change. These individuals may be correct as actual doctrine and policy in the Church moves slow and has the Church’s views on divorce have long been in place. Time will tell to what extent if any views on divorce from the Vatican will change.
Divorce and Being Catholic
At Salcido Law Firm, we understand the unique challenges being Catholic can sometimes pose when seeking a divorce. In some cases a Catholic spouse may seek to delay or frustrate the process of divorce believing their religious beliefs prohibit the divorce entirely. Regardless of your religious affiliation, we can help through a divorce and custody matter. Contact a Utah Divorce Attorney at our office today for a free consultation.
